No. 4 Middlebury hands Stags first loss of 2017

AUSTIN, Tex. – No. 2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps' sixteen match winning streak came to an end on Saturday, as No. 4 Middlebury defeated the men's tennis team 6-3 in a rain delayed match in Austin. Playing without senior captain Glenn Hull (CMC), CMS got two wins from senior Alex Brenner (CMC) at No. 3 doubles and No. 6 singles.

With Hull's last minute scratch from the starting lineup, CMS moved freshmen Nikolai Parodi (CMC) and Jay Yeam (CMC) to No. 2 doubles, and inserted Brenner and freshman Jake Berber (CMC) at No. 3 doubles. The Stags won one of three doubles matches, as Berber and Brenner used a two service break advantage to win 8-5 at No. 3.

Unlike the other Stags singles comebacks thus far this season, CMS was not able to assert control early. Middlebury earned first set wins on five of six courts, with Brenner the lone Stag at No. 6 to win a first set. After Parodi was knocked off in two close sets at No. 1 singles to put Middlebury ahead 3-1, Brenner got his second win of the day to narrow the gap to 3-2. Both senior captain Daniel Morkovine (CMC) and junior Patrick Wildman (CMC) came back to win second sets at No. 2 and No. 3 singles, just as senior Max Macey's (CMC) comeback effort ended in a 6-3, 7-6(0) loss at No. 5.

With the match at 4-2 in favor of Middlebury, a light rain forced the players off court, and play resumed at the Weller Indoor Tennis Club of the University of Texas. Freshman Daniel Park (CMC) was returning at 6-4, 5-4 to stay in the match, while Wildman and Morkovine were early in their third sets, as play began again. Despite a valiant effort and saving two match points, Park fell short in the final game, with his opponent serving out the match to give Middlebury the clinch. Wildman then won at No. 3 when his opponent quit following the clinch, and Morkovine dropped the final set in the last match on court.

The Stags conclude their road trip with a match against No. 1 Emory (9-3) on Sunday at 9:30 a.m. CDT, either indoors at the John Newcombe Tennis Ranch in New Braunfels, or outdoors at the Austin Tennis Academy.

#2 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (3) vs. #4 Middlebury (6)
April 1, 2017 at Austin, TX (Austin Tennis Academy and Weller Indoor Tennis Center)

Doubles
1. Lubo Cuba / Will de Quant (Midd) def. Daniel Morkovine / Julian Gordy (CMS) 8-4
2. Hamid Derbani / Kyle Schlanger (Midd) def. Nikolai Parodi / Jay Yeam (CMS) 8-6
3. Jake Berber / Alex Brenner (CMS) def. Timo Van Der Geest / Allen Jackson (Midd) 8-5 

Singles
1. Lubo Cuba (Midd) def. Nikolai Parodi (CMS) 6-4, 6-4
2. Will de Quant (Midd)  def. Daniel Morkovine (CMS) 6-3, 6-7(4), 6-1
3. Patrick Wildman (CMS) def. Hamid Derbani (Midd) 4-6, 6-3, 3-0 Quit
4. Kyle Schlanger (Midd) def. Daniel Park (CMS) 6-4, 6-4
5. Timo van der Geest (Midd) def. Max Macey (CMS) 6-3, 7-6(0)
6. Alex Brenner (CMS) def. Allen Jackson (Midd) 6-2, 6-3

Order of completion
Doubles: 1, 3, 2
Singles: 1, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2

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